Local NHS trust identified as one of the best in country for cleanliness and food

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust has been identified as one of the leading trusts in the country for cleanliness and food in a national assessment by the people it cares for and staff.

Thanks to the hard work of Torbay and South Devon’s catering, cleaning and the many other teams looking after workplaces and environments, the Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) identified the organisation as being in the top five for both categories.

One of the organisation’s key goals is to provide an excellent experience for those both receiving and providing care. Ensuring that environments are clean and safe and that the best standard of food possible is provided play an important part in achieving this goal for Torbay and South Devon.

For cleanliness, which looked at the condition of objects and facilities including patient equipment, furniture and toilets, Torbay and South Devon scored full marks (100%). In food and hydration, which looked at choice, availability and quality, the organisation placed in the top five trusts in the country.

Lynn Northcott, Cleaning Operations Manager at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our cleaning teams work incredibly hard to provide the highest standard of cleanliness across all of the organisation’s sites.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world we all live. Ensuring our environments are as clean as possible helps us keep the people who need our help, visitors and colleagues safe.”

Nathan Simms, Catering Operations Manager at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The commitment we have to provide a high standard of food and a range of options to meet everyone’s needs is something we pride ourselves on.

"The people in our care in ward settings are more often than not going through a difficult time, and it is great to know that we can improve their experience with the food we provide.”

Jake O’Donovan, Workplace Director at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “These scores are a fantastic achievement for our organisation, and highlight the incredible work of our workplace teams. Our people are working every single day, across all of our hospitals and healthcare settings, to deliver a service of the highest quality and it is great to see this recognised on a national level.

“Roles that support the delivery of care in the NHS can often be ‘behind the scenes’ when compared to frontline roles, which is why it’s so important to celebrate the essential work that our teams provide.”

“We love hearing positive feedback from members of the public and our staff, but it is great to receive this national recognition.”

This was the first publication of PLACE data since 2019 due to COVID-19 restrictions in place in healthcare settings. A team of assessors made up of both patients and staff visit each of the settings, and the scores are published by NHS England.

Workplace teams at Torbay and South Devon have been instrumental in achieving these scores. Workplace are a group of departments that manage and deliver a whole range of services across the organisation, including estate management, facilities services, hotel services and capital developments.

This includes roles in cleaning, portering, gardening, electrical and mechanical maintenance, catering and many more staff groups.

There are lots of career opportunities in Torbay and South Devon NHS’ workplace team and current vacancies can be found online: www.torbayandsouthdevon.nhs.uk/about-us/working-with-us/vacancies/